Onyx Bugett | TalkLife News
November 3, 2026 · Developing
BROOKLYN — The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating antisemitic vandalism discovered on four Jewish school buses in Williamsburg on Monday, November 2, after swastikas and hateful messages were painted on the vehicles.
Officers responded shortly before 10 a.m. near Bedford Avenue and Williamsburg Street West, News 12 reported. Its report said no arrests had been made as of Monday night. That is a time-specific account; the investigation remains developing.
amNewYork’s November 2 reporting described black spray paint on the parked buses, including markings placed over Hebrew lettering identifying their operators. Officers from the 90th Precinct initially responded to a criminal-mischief complaint.
City officials condemn the incident
The mayor’s administration said it was in contact with police and community leaders. Phylisa Wisdom, executive director of the mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, condemned the vandalism and said Jewish New Yorkers should be able to live openly without intimidation, according to amNewYork.
The confirmed focus of the reports is damage to vehicles used by a Jewish community and the police inquiry that followed. The accounts reviewed for this article do not identify a suspect. The writing on the buses does not establish the identity, affiliations or wider connections of whoever painted it.
What a hate-crime investigation involves
On its public guidance page, the NYPD explains that criminal mischief and graffiti can fall within hate-crime investigations when bias motivates the underlying criminal act. The department assigns its citywide task force to investigate possible bias-motivated incidents.
That process is significant for residents because a case can involve both physical damage and intimidation directed at a community. An investigation does not establish any individual’s guilt; evidence must determine responsibility and any eventual charges.
Anyone with information about the bus vandalism can contact Crime Stoppers at 800-577-8477 or submit a tip through its official website. The NYPD directs people facing an emergency or a crime in progress to call 911. Non-emergency reports can go to the local precinct, and the department says immigration status does not prevent someone from reporting a hate crime or receiving essential services.